Capcom has partnered with amusement park company Six Flags to make one of its roller coasters Monster Hunter-themed.

At California's Six Flags Magic Mountain, the roller coaster Goliath will bear a Monster Hunter theme from 28th March through 10th August.

So what does this entail, exactly? Probably not a lot. According to Capcom, Goliath will be "custom-skinned to resemble the game's flagship Gore Magala monster." Furthermore, there will be Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate demo kiosks at the nearby Cyber Cafe.

Speaking to Time Magazine, Iwata said, “As of now, I have nothing new to share with you in regard to the use of our IPs for any TV shows or films, but I can at least confirm that the article in question is not based on correct information."

ORIGINAL STORY 07/02/2015 2.20am: Nintendo is reportedly working with Netflix on a live-action TV series based on The Legend of Zelda.

They don't make 'em like they used to. With Xbox 360's abysmal failure rate and PS3s often falling victim to the yellow light of death, it's a strange that so many consoles from the 90s are still running just fine. To test these vintage video game platforms' durability, the folks at Wired decided to experiment with which ones could survive a 15 foot drop.

Ranging from Super Nintendo to PS3, 12 consoles were selected for this grueling test of valor.

Nintendo designed many of its recent 3D Mario levels using the four-part structure of Chinese poetry and Japanese comics.

The technique was originally detailed in a Gamasutra interview with Super Mario 3D Land director Koichi Hayashida, and can be seen in action in journalist Mark Brown's latest Game Maker's Toolkit video.

Hayashida explained how he refined his level design process over the course of his career at Nintendo, starting with Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii.

Dead Rising: Watchtower, the live-action film based on Capcom's popular open-world zombie series, is coming to Xbox consoles a week early, Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has announced.

Anyone with the Crackle app will be able to start watching the movie on 20th March. Those without a Microsoft console will have to wait until 27th March.

It's an odd exclusive given that Crackle is Sony Pictures Television's streaming service, but there you have it. Dead Rising: Watchtower stars funnyman Rob Riggle along with Jesse Metcalfe, Meghan Ory, Dennis Haysbert, Keegan Connor and Virginia Madsen, who was once nominated for an Academy Award for her work in Sideways.

La-Mulana, a game that can only be described as "Fez meets Dark Souls," is coming to Vita on 4th March (or 3rd March in North America) in a spruced up edition entitled La-Mulana EX.

The colossal metroidvania that combines expansive, obtuse puzzles with excessively deadly enemies was initially released in 2005 as a free PC game in Japan, but was remade into a commercial product where it came to WiiWare in 2012 and Steam in 2013. Now Vita players will get a chance to fail at developer Nigoro's fiendishly difficult expedition.

Port developer Pygmy Studio worked with Nigoro on this enhanced edition that makes the game a tad more accessible without making it noticeably easier. As detailed on the PlayStation Blog, there's now a Monster Bestiary to check out details on the creatures you come across, and some puzzles have been slightly adjusted to make more sense.

Renegade Kid's sci-fi metroidvania Xeodrifter is coming to PS4 and Vita this April via a new publishing deal with Gambitious Digital Entertainment.

Released on 3DS and PC in December, Xeodrifter merges the minimalist 2D platforming of Renegade Kid's earlier Mutant Mudds with the more ambitious open-world exploration of Metroid.

To further celebrate Xeodrifter's branching out, Gambitious just released the game's Special Edition on Steam. This adds an in-depth development diary and soundtrack by chiptune artists Roth Sothy, Matthew Gambrell and Brian Altano.

]]>http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-02-25-renegade-kids-metroidvania-xeodrifter-is-coming-to-ps4-and-vita
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=1739144Wed, 25 Feb 2015 20:00:00 +0000New Rock Band is in development for PS4 and Xbox One - report

A new Rock Band game is in development for PS4 and Xbox One, according to a report from Bloomberg.

While credited to "a person familiar with the plan," the Bloomberg report corroborates recent speculation that Harmonix is planning to relaunch the series as it just started adding new DLC to Rock Band 3 after a 21 month Hiatus.

January saw new songs from Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold and Foo Fighters, while just this Tuesday Harmonix added Tenacious D's Rize Of The Fenix and Weezer's Back to the Shack to the playlist.

Someone has defeated Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! while wearing a blindfold.

Real life Jedi Jack Wedge accomplished this astounding feat this weekend. He's the first person in recorded history to conquer the titular boxer - one of gaming's most difficult bosses - without the aid of his vision.

Last year a man going by the name of Sinister1 managed to shock the world by simply getting to Tyson blindfolded during charity drive Awesome Games Done Quick. He said at the start of that fight that he wouldn't be able to best the final boss as "his delays between when he throws his punches are completely random."

Metroid has always been a mesh of different DNA: a little of Zelda's exploration mixed in with the acrobatics of Mario and then tied together with some good old fashioned plasma ballistics. Even taking into account that heritage, there was nothing quite like Metroid Prime when it launched in 2002. Coming up to 13 years later, and despite a couple of high quality sequels and almost a decade of increasingly fevered begging from fans, there's been nothing like it ever since.

This is a unique game, and certainly a very special one. Returning to it today - which is now easier than ever thanks to the recent release of Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Wii U's Virtual Console - it's clear that the years haven't dulled its atmosphere or undermined its achievements. If anything, they're brought sharper into focus: as an updating of a 2D classic into three dimensions, the original Prime has earned itself a place alongside Super Mario 64 as one of Nintendo's greats. Alongside the excellent Super Metroid, it's also a high watermark for the space-faring series.

There's much shared between those two games, of course, but nothing's ever merely borrowed in Metroid Prime. Instead it's thoughtfully retooled, reshaped and placed in an all-new template that's every bit as intoxicating as that of the classics it succeeds.

]]>http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-01-22-watch-the-dead-rising-films-debut-trailer
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=1732527Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:54:00 +0000Club Nintendo to close later this year

Nintendo has announced plans to close its Club Nintendo scheme in the coming months. The rewards system, formerly known as Nintendo VIP 24:7, began life in 2002 but will be phased out in three stages from April 1st this year.

As of that date, points registration cards will no longer be included with retail products. From April 20th, you'll no longer be able to register digital titles downloaded from the eShop. The programme formally closes for good on September 30th, at which point you'll no longer be able to sign up to the service, log in to your account, admire your Stars, or exchange them for any goods.

Nintendo has plans to introduce a replacement programme, but details are scarce. All we do know is that those who sign up to the new scheme will be able to download Flipnote Studio 3D to their 3DS for free.

Rockstar's mischievous scholastic satire Bully (or Canis Canem Edit, as it was originally called upon its European release) came out in 2006 and many have clamoured for a remake to it. It's unclear if that will ever happen, but graphic design student Wesley Arthur has given us some idea of how that might look by painstakingly recreating its boy's dormitory in Unreal Engine 4.

"The level closely replicates the original layout in order to maximise its recognisability, but each asset has been carefully redesigned and built from scratch," Arthur said in the notes accompanying a YouTube video demonstrating his work.

Arthur is even creating an art book detailing the techniques he used to create this impressive contemporary take on Rockstar's eight year old adventure. Here's an excerpt below:

Big-name actors lending their vocal talents and motion-capture expertise to games are commonplace nowadays. But Captain America's Chris Evans made headlines last week for showing off his guns in a TV spot for China's free-to-play Call of Duty: Online, despite having no ties to the actual game itself.

He's not the only actor to have a starring role in a gaming commerical, however. Before they were famous - and, in some cases, afterwards - these 11 celebrities cut their teeth on a series of delightfully kitsch advertisements for gaming consoles and products. The blink-and-you miss-it cameo from alien sibling duo Zig and Zag may well make your day, and that's before the flying motorbike scene even gets a look-in. Look, it'll make more sense if you just watch. Probably.

UPDATE: I'm told last week Destiny's RRP was cut by £10, which is likely the reason for the surge in sales, rather than the release of The Dark Below DLC. I've amended the headline.

ORIGINAL STORY: The release of Destiny downloadable content The Dark Below has sparked a surge in sales of the game in the UK.

Sales of Bungie's first-person shooter shot up 29 per cent last week, sending the game up seven places from 16th to ninth in Chart-Track's all-formats chart. The Dark Below expansion went on sale on Tuesday, 9th December.

An actor hired by Nintendo to play Donkey Kong at an LA launch event for Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D last year is suing Nintendo after suffering from a serious heart condition allegedly brought on by the unsafe work conditions he was subject to.

As reported by the LA Times, the actor, Parker Mills, was denied breaks and not provided with the required ice packs to cool him down as he portrayed the famous gorilla in the smoldering heat.

The lawsuit also stated that Mills was supposed to receive oversight from an ambassador at Nintendo hired to escort the costumed actor, but the company failed to follow through on this.

Today is Tom Bramwell's last day at Eurogamer. The former editor-in-chief leaves after nearly 15 years at the company. We're all sad to see him go, but wish him well for the future, whatever it may hold.

During his time at Eurogamer, Tom reviewed countless video games, interviewed hundreds of developers and publishers, and even penned the odd column. He led the team as we travelled across the world, reporting on the likes of GDC, E3, Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show. He was the driving force behind Eurogamer's editorial direction, raising standards while setting the agenda. Oh, and he hired me, which, obviously, was his smartest move.

So, after so many years spent grilling the video game industry, we thought it would be fun to turn the tables on Tom and see how he'd like the hot seat. Why is he leaving Eurogamer? Has he ever been offered cash for a review score? And, of course, do you eat Doritos? Let's not pull any punches - after all, as we'd often say to each other as we'd head off to report on some event, "happy hunting."

Retro City Rampage's spruced up remake, Retro City Rampage: DX, premiered earlier this year on 3DS and now it's due next week on PS4, PS3, Vita and Wii, developer Brian Provinciano has announced.

The PlayStation versions will offer Cross-Buy support across all three Sony platforms where it will debut on 11th November in North America and the following day in Europe. The WiiWare port will follow on the 13th.

The PC, Mac and Xbox 360 versions have yet to be given an exact date, but Provinciano noted that they've gone gold and should hopefully be out next week as well.

When THQ when kaput last year its assets were auctioned off to the highest bidder with Darksiders and Red Faction sold to Nordic Games. Now the Vienna-based publisher has acquired another one of THQ's lost properties with the whimsical platforming series de Blob.

"de Blob is just a great and truly unique franchise," said Nordic Games' business & product development director Reinhard Pollice. "We are excited about what the future holds for this polychromatic extravaganza as the newest addition to our portfolio. We will evaluate opportunities with the existing games, as well as potential sequels."

Sudeikis (30 Rock, Horrible Bosses) will star as the iconic red bird, Red, a "bird with a temper problem"; Gad (Frozen, Wish I was Here) plays a swift bird named Chuck; and McBride (This is the End, Pineapple Express) fills out the main trio as the abrasive Bomb.

Hader (The Skeleton Twins, Saturday Night Live) will play a villainous hog, while Rudolph (Bridesmaids, The Maya Rudolph Show) is some woman named Matilda, and Dinklage is the Mighty Eagle.

Official figures from Chart-Track show EA's annual behemoth sold around as many copies as FIFA 14 did during its launch week in 2013.

Unlike FIFA 14, FIFA 15 launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at the same time as previous generation platforms, so to create a direct comparison Chart-Track has added in the launch figures for FIFA 14 on PS4 and Xbox One to the figures for its first launch on last generation consoles (FIFA 14 on PS4 and Xbox One launched alongside the consoles last November).

Citizens of Marin County, California can turn in their violent video games to the local government in exchange for ice cream.

Ben & Jerry's ice cream, to be exact.

As reported by the Marin Independent Journal, this is part of a new initiative by Marin County district attorney Ed Berberian. Berberian joined forces with Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream along with the Center for Domestic Peace to set up a drive in which locals can turn in both video games and toy guns to receive some sweet, sweet dairy treats.

Many considered Patrick Stewart's classy response to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge the video to end all Ice Bucket Challenge videos, but the games industry still has some unfinished business with the fundraiser to cure Lou Gerhig's Disease.

The rule was simple: Anyone at Nintendo of America who donated towards the ALS Association got a raffle ticket to execute the dunking of their bosses. As you can see, many relished in making it a slow, painful process.

Disney Infinity's Marvel-based sequel is coming next month on every console except for the Wii, which has since been left in the dust by its successor, the Wii U. As a result, Disney is letting players download the original Disney Infinity for free on the Wii U eShop, where its base and figurines are backwards compatible with the Wii game.

Of course, you can't play the game without the physical base and at least one Infinity figure, so if you don't already have the starter kit this won't help you much. But for those who built up a collection on Nintendo's massively successful console and want to continue adding to that collection on Nintendo's massively unsuccessful console, you'll now have that option as Disney Infinity 2.0 is backwards compatible with the first game's base and figures.

The original Disney Infinity launched on Wii U in addition to the Wii, so this free version will contain all of the console-specific content from that including GamePad integration for the Toy Box online mode.

Every Sunday we offer up an article from our archive, either for you to discover for the first time or to get acquainted with all over again. This week we present Rich Stanton's look at sex in games, originally published in 2012.

If you only play one game today, make it Sepe's Cumshot. In this you control a disembodied hand and stimulate the penis of a man called Sepe. The poor thing starts off limp, but stroke it a little and see what happens. As you work it more furiously, Sepe's cock engorges with blood, and his body hulks up. He's loving it! You can finish him off yourself.

Sepe's Cumshot is a funny game - and a big part of that is how your wrist is moving like it would during male masturbation. By that critical measure of how closely the mechanics and theme intertwine, Sepe's Cumshot is probably the best sex game ever made. But you could hardly call the competition stiff.

UPDATE 06/08/2014 9.20pm: GameStop has confirmed the new pricing structure outlined in yesterday's leaked documents. The retailer sent Eurogamer the following statement on the matter:

“GameStop made the decision to simplify the trade-in pricing structure that is part of our buy-sell-trade program based on positive feedback we have received from customers and store managers. We anticipate this change to be well-received by our customers as they experience the added value we are now offering them for their pre-owned video game and consumer electronic products.

"Last year, GameStop issued over $1.2 billion of trade credits with more than 70 per cent of that applied to the purchase of new products. We want to provide our customers the best value for their trade and we believe customers will be pleased with this new simplified pricing.”

Every Sunday we offer up an article from our archive, either for you to discover for the first time or to get acquainted with all over again. This week we present Simon Parkin's profile of Hironobu Sakaguchi, originally published in February 2012.

"So, what are you doing in London today?" The hairdresser speaks in broken English, pausing every few words with the sheer effort of foreign sentence construction. "I am a video game journalist," I reply, hopefully. "Ahhh!" he laughs, a mixture of amusement and the relief of simply understanding the response.

"I just interviewed Hironobu Sakaguchi," I offer. A pause. "Do you know the Final Fantasy games? He made those."

UPDATE 29/07/14 1.22am: After initially bailing on its agreed upon sponsorship after the fact, publisher NIS America has decided to honour its original agreement and pay the GaymerX event organisers the agreed upon $3K.

"Everything is all settled - @NISAmerica has explained the poor wording of the email which I misinterpreted very poorly, apologies and hugs," tweeted event organiser Matt Conn. "I'm just happy that they have cleared up the confusion and confirmed that they will fulfill payment."

"Please note that @NISAmerica unlike most AAA companies was willing to sponsor and be at @GaymerX, which takes extreme courage," Conn noted.

Every week we bring you a feature from our archive for you to discover, or simply to read again. This Sunday we present Richard Stanton's Who framed Roger Ebert, a detailed dissection of a question that's lingered around video games for an age. A sidenote - Life Itself, a documentary on the life of Ebert, is out in the US now, and is coming to the UK later this year.

Are videogames art? What's your reaction to that question? For me it's always a weary groan of resignation, followed by skipping the rest of the article. Perhaps that's arrogance, because for a sizeable chunk of the gaming audience it is a very big deal indeed, and a topic that won't go away. When there's a flashpoint, such as a couple of articles by the film critic Roger Ebert, no one could miss the storm. But whether games are art is not a question that needs answering, and these pieces are a useful tool for explaining why.

I'm not going to spend this article arguing with Ebert, but it's worth briefly reminding ourselves of what was said and done. The first salvo came after a review of the execrable movie version of Doom. In response to a comment from a reader, Ebert said "As long as there is a great movie unseen or a great book unread, I will continue to be unable to find the time to play video games."

Kingdom Hearts creator and Final Fantasy character designer Tetsuya Nomura has envisioned a new interpretation of Batman as part of an upcoming line of Square Enix and DC Comics-produced collectible figurines called the Variant Play Arts Kai series.

As shown above, this new interpretation is a lot less sensible than the caped crusader we're used to - with no discernible visor for Bruce Wayne to peer out of - but it arguably looks cooler. Also, is it just me, or does it look more like a futuristic Dracula than the Dark Knight?

The Nomura designed character is currently being displayed at San Diego Comic-Con, but will go on sale at a later date. It has yet to be give an official name.

UPDATE 15/07/2014 8.30pm: Sega has clarified that it could potentially release its catalogue on the Wii U Virtual Console in the future. The publisher offered Eurogamer the following statement on the matter:

“Sega would like to clarify a statement that was issued over Twitter. All options are currently on the table concerning development for the Wii U Virtual Console. Although there are no immediate plans, this does not negate the possibility and exploration of creating for this platform.”

ORIGINAL STORY 11/07/2014 10.59pm: One of the Wii's most notable features was its Virtual Console that offered a pretty comprehensive selection of retro games on older Nintendo hardware. The Wii U's Virtual Console, however, is somewhat lacking and Sega's CS research and development producer Yosuke Okunari recently confirmed on Twitter that the publisher has no plans to bring its older games to the Wii U's VC. (Thanks, GoNintendo.)

Sony is using PlayStation 4 to target Wii owners who skipped the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

The PlayStation 4 launched last November and became the fastest-selling console ever in the UK. Globally it has shifted seven million units, and is even outpacing the PlayStation 2.

While much of the console's success is down to the early adoption by core gamers, Sony Computer Entertainment boss Andrew House told Eurogamer at the Develop conference in Brighton that there is a huge opportunity to attract those who bought a Wii but not a PS3 or Xbox 360 - in fact it's already happening.

Debuting on 9th July 1981 in arcades, Donkey Kong was one of Shigeru Miyamoto's first creations and marks the first appearance of video game's most ubiquitous mascot, Mario - though at the time he was known only as Jumpman.

While Mario stole Donkey Kong's thunder, the big ape didn't go down lightly. According to Jörg Ziesak's 2009 book, Wii Innovate - How Nintendo Created a New Market Through Strategic Innovation, Donkey Kong cabinets earned Nintendo $180 million dollars in its first two years. That's the equivalent of over $650 million today. (Thanks, Wikipedia.)